Prayer Meeting                                     Notes 1999

“Teach Us To Pray”                                                          8 February 1999

Text: Luke 18:1-14

REVIEW:

1.   Request from Disciples: “Teach us to Pray”      Luke 11:1

2.   Reply by the Lord Jesus      Luke 11:1-13

      a)   The Format of Prayer as illustrated/exemplified by “The Lord’s Prayer”

            i)      How to address God - as “Our Heavenly Father”

            ii)      How to honour God by dwelling on His Attributes

            iii)      How to make requests/petitions in prayer

            iv)      The things that may be brought to God in prayer

      b)   The Basis of Prayer

            i)      As one would come to a friend      Luke 11:5-8

            ii)  Better still, as a child would come to his father, making most legitimate requests  Luke 11:9-13

            iii)  Praying with understanding and assurance that our Heavenly Father would honour and more than meet our prayer requests!  He would even give us THE greatest gift of all - the Person of the Holy Spirit Himself! (No greater gift)!

3.   Further Lessons on Prayer       Luke 18:1

      a)   That while prayers offered to the Lord on the basis of NEEDS though valid and will be answered (CF. Luke 17:11-19 - The Ten Lepers healed), nevertheless it is the Prayer of Faith that receives full commendation.

      b)   The challenge is to discover and develop the exercise of faith when praying       Luke 18:1

      c)   It is faith in prayer that enables one to persevere in prayer and not to become faint or weary in prayer endeavours.

      d)   It is faith that the Lord looks for when He returns to earth

            (Will He find faith?)       Luke 18:8

An Important Note Of Warning Concerning The Development Of Our Spiritual Life  (Luke 18:9-14)

1.   There is the very real danger of spiritual pride, illustrated by the Pharisee and the way he offered his prayer to God      Luke 18:9-12

2.   The Pharisee was indeed practising all the things he was proud of!

3.   We have to guard against this very real and dangerous tendency that creeps up on us!

The Humble Prayer Is Still The Best Way To Pray  (Luke 18:13-14)

1.   There is consciousness of sin present in one’s life.

2.   There is confession of those sins before God.

3.   There is contrition in the heart when prayer is offered.

4.   There is commendation from the Lord concerning such prayers.